Joy is no longer with us but has passed on into eternity.
We may be asking, Why Lord?
I believe that we will all miss her but we trust that Joy was ready to go meet her Maker….and that is really what matters.
Are you ready to face death?
1Peter 1:13 ¶ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 ¶ For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
We have no promise of tomorrow.
Life is short…..so short…and yet it is so easy to get so caught up in the things that this world has to offer that we lose our focus….we lose our focus on the things that really matter.
Think with me for one moment:
As Joy passed from this life and entered the threshold of eternity….and if she could speak to us…..what do you think that she would have to say?
I believe this is what she would be saying…..life is short….live for Jesus.
-Don’t hold back from God.
Your money will not get you to heaven.
Your popularity will not get you there.
Your education will not get you there.
Being famous will not get you there.
And sin will drive you far from there.
Jesus invites all to come to him.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Does this mean that we can come to Jesus just how we are?
-yes…Jesus wants us to come right where we find ourselves now.
-It doesn’t matter how self righteous we are or how far in the depths of sin that we find ourselves…..the invitation is here….come and let Jesus cleanse you and make you clean.
Matthew 18:3 …..Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
1John 1:5 ¶ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When we bring our burden of sin and place it at the foot of the cross….there is where we meet Jesus.
2Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
How do I know that I can depend on God?
How do I know that what He says in His Word is true?
1. He is Eternal.
2. He is Immutable (unchanging)
3. He is Omnipotent (all powerful)
4. He is Omniscient (all knowing without limits)
5. He is Omnipresent (everywhere at all times)
6. He is Righteous
7. He is Faithful
8. He is Incomprehensible.
9. He is a God of Goodness.
10. He is a God of Mercy.
11. He is a God of Justice and Judgement.
12. He is a God of Love.
13. He is a God that Hates Evil.
14. He is a God of Holiness.
15. And he is a God that Cares deeply for you!